So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10 (NIV)
Some Christians say that when they pray for something, if God doesn't answer them the first time, they don't continue to pray for that thing. In their minds, this is probably God's way of saying NO. In Luke 11, Jesus teaches a completely different message. He uses a rather interesting parable. That of the man who went to ask his friend for bread in the middle of the night. His friend refused to help him, but by insisting, he ended up winning his case.
His friend's response was due more to his insistence than to a compassionate heart. God's silence when we ask Him for something does not mean that He does not want to answer us or that He does not hear us. Often, it is this attitude of laziness in prayer that He wants to eliminate in us. Instead of making us give up, His silence should encourage us to insist more. Sometimes it can also teach us to pray according to His will.
In His wisdom, God knows how to change us, transform us without us having time to realize it. Let the flow of His plan guide your life and decisions. You pray, wait. You pray, be patient. You pray, insist. You pray, persevere. The more you pray, the more you draw God's attention to you.
May the grace and peace of God be with you all.